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The six-year old angel who may earn £1m as the next Charlotte Church by CLEMMIE MOODIE -
15th June 2007
She's never had a formal singing lesson. Instead, she has had to hone her skills on a £39.99 karaoke machine.
But Connie Talbot, the six-year-old star of ITV1's Britain's Got Talent, is already being hailed as the "next Charlotte Church".
Connie, Simon Cowell believes, has DEFINITELY got talent
And after wowing both the audience and the judges - in particular Simon Cowell - she is now tipped to earn more than £1million over the coming year.
Indeed, so impressed was the 47-year-old pop mogul by Connie's performance, that he has preliminarily agreed to sign her up to a seven-figure deal with his own record label, Sony BMG.
Despite the avalanche of attention, she is keeping her feet firmly on the ground.
Indeed, after progressing to the third of the live semi-finals, Connie declined a celebratory restaurant dinner in favour of a chip supper at their three-bedroom home in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, alongside her parents, Sharon and Gavin, and 14-year-old brother Josh and sister, Mollie, 12.
It is hard to believe that such a voice could come from such a tiny figure
She even refused to tell anyone at school about her show- stealing performance - the first her teachers knew of Connie's television debut was when they watched the rogramme for themselves.
While Connie is desperate to take Cowell up on his offer, her 38-year-old mother, a part-time utility worker, is rather less enthusiastic.
"I'm a big worrier," she said. "I just want my Connie to stay the way she is. I never wanted all this for her - I never took her to dance lessons or singing lessons.
"But I wouldn't be able to turn down a record deal with Simon because Connie would just be like, 'Yes!, Yes!' She'd feel like Leona Lewis from the X Factor who, along with Joss Stone, is her absolute idol."
Mrs Talbot, who bought her daughter a karaoke machine because the family could not afford singing lessons, also revealed that Connie only discovered she could sing in tragic circumstances - when her grandmother, Violet, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
"When her grandma was really ill in bed, Connie used to sing the DVD to the Wizard of Oz to her, to cheer her up.
"It was her grandmother who first told me, 'She's really good, you know'"
Following her grandmother's death two years ago, at the age of 72, Connie sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow at the funeral.
"Her grandmother would have been so proud," Mrs Talbot added. "She had her fortune told years ago and was told her she was going to have a famous grandchild - maybe that's Connie."
On Monday night, seven million viewers saw
her sing Somewhere Over The Rainbow at the reality show's Birmingham auditions.
She received a standing ovation and left the programme's three judges, Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan, speechless.
On Saturday night, viewers and the trio of panellists will vote to decide if Connie makes it through to the following evening's studio final for the chance to sing in front of the Queen at the Royal Variety Show and win £100,000.
"This girl is just special," Cowell told the Mail last night. "I have never felt such a powerful silence in my life as when Connie sang. It was pure magic.
"She's all over the world at the moment, this girl - she's the number one clip on YouTube, for instance - and that's a worldwide number one.
"She's got a wonderful opportunity here and I'll make a prediction that Connie will sell more records than Joss Stone this year.
"Of course a record deal with a Sony BMG is on the cards - but only if Connie wants it.
"We can't go rushing into anything. I will initially talk to her and then I'll have a word with her mum and see what she wants.
"She could easily make a million quid-plus this year, but of course none of this is guaranteed until the competition is over.
"I think a comparison with Charlotte Church is interesting - she's certainly got a shot."
Last night, Connie said: "I am really excited. Simon is my hero."
LITTLE CONNIE VOWS: 'I WILL WIN BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT IN MEMORY OF MY DEAD NAN'
From The Daily Express
by Geraint Jones
Ant and Dec present the show which could make Connie or Paul a star
Sunday June 17,2007
By Geraint Jones
TINY singing sensation Connie Talbot will be performing for a very special audience when she sings on Britain’s Got Talent tonight – her beloved granny.
She chose Somewhere Over the Rainbow as her song for the TV show because they used to watch the film together before her grandmother died two years ago.
Connie said: “I know my nan is always watching me on stage so I don’t get nervous.”
Her mother Sharon said: “My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when Connie was small. She loved the old films and the one we would watch all the time was The Wizard of Oz.
“Connie started singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow when she was only 18 months old.”
The song, made famous by Judy Garland, has made Connie, from Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, favourite to take the £100,000 first prize. She is not daunted at having to face judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan.
Connie said: “I really enjoyed singing in front of all thosepeople and am looking forward to doing it again.” Connie hopes to follow in her favourite singer’s footsteps. She said: “I love Leona who won X-Factor. She’s brilliant and when I get older I want to be a singer like her.”
Mrs Talbot, 38, said: “Connie never stops singing whether it is at home or on the way to school so it only seemed right to encourage her. It is fantastic that she has done so well and it would be wonderful if she won the whole thing.
“I don’t know what all her school friends will be thinking – she didn’t tell any of them what she was about to do.”
Connie’s father Gavin, 40, a maintenance engineer, said: “It has been absolute mayhem since she went on the television. Our phone hasn’t stopped ringing but we’re all really proud of her.”
If Connie clinches the title she will have the honour of singing in front of the Queen at this year’s Royal Variety Performance.
Sunday, 17 June 2007, Connie Talbot says she has had no professional singing lessons
Six-year-old Connie Talbot has won through to the final of TV variety show Britain's Got Talent.
The young singer once again impressed judges, including Simon Cowell, as she performed Michael Jackson's hit Ben.
She joins five other acts, including opera singer Paul Potts and street dancers The Kombat Breakers, hoping to win a spot at the Royal Variety Show.
The winner of the ITV1 programme, presented by Ant and Dec, will also receive a cheque for £100,000.
Connie, from Sutton Coldfield, first wowed the judges with her performance in the heats singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
Saturday's semi-final also saw bottle-juggling pair the Bar Wizards win through to the next round, which takes place on Sunday.
The other finalists are Damon Scott, who performs with a monkey puppet, and 11-year-old singer Bessie Cursons.
On Friday, impressionist Richard Bates was removed from the contest after police contacted producers to tell them he was on the sex offenders' register.
ITV said Bates, who is due to be removed from the register next month, had agreed to step down from the show.
